Straighten bowed tailgate?
- Thread starter dbleon
- Start date
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Can you post a pic? even my rusty ass tailgate is straight even after hella heavy steel shelving and tons of railroad tie rods laying on it outta the window, Does it even close?
Mine was bowed from PO pretty bad. I ended up installing a tailgate lid from wagongear. It pulled it back straight pretty close to flat - noticeably better. There are several folks who make lids so it is worth looking around, but I was extremely satisfied. Kevin makes a great product.
I wonder if you could remove the inner cardboard, slide some angle iron up high inside the gate, and pull this angle iron to bend the gate forward (somehow) to reverse the bowing. I suspect you could only improve it, and not make it perfect, but it might make it better. Might need to remove the gate and make a jig for this or find two trees nicely spaced to hold the gate back against the force.
- Thread starter
- #6
I wish it was just the inner panel ....Unfortunately it’s the whole unit that is bowed.
My lower tailgate on my FJ62 was also bowed when I got it (way back in '99). I seem to remember that I unbolted the 2nd row seat and used those strong attachment points to hook a couple ratchet straps and a stuck a piece of stout angle iron inside the tailgate and tugged on that a bunch of times. It wasn't perfect, but it was much flatter.
My carpet piece was also trashed and the PO had cut holes in it for speakers (I know, stupid place for speakers...), so I chucked that and made a new cover with a piece of 1/2" birch plywood. I screwed a hardwood stiffener brace to the back side, so when I screwed the plywood down it also pulled the tailgate a little flatter.
My carpet piece was also trashed and the PO had cut holes in it for speakers (I know, stupid place for speakers...), so I chucked that and made a new cover with a piece of 1/2" birch plywood. I screwed a hardwood stiffener brace to the back side, so when I screwed the plywood down it also pulled the tailgate a little flatter.
